People aged up to 25 to be eligible for half-price fares on public transport

People aged up to 25 will be eligible for half-price fares on public transport under an expansion of the commuter discount scheme in the budget.

Currently the 50 per cent discount for holders of Young Adult cards applies between the ages of 19 and 23, but now it can be availed of up to a person’s 26th birthday. The move is in addition to the retention for 2024 of the existing 20 per cent discount for all passengers, introduced as a temporary measure last year.

Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said it was his longer-term “ambition to move towards zero-cost travel for children and teenagers in 2025″.

Big-ticket public transport investment in Budget 2024 will see €359 million invested in active travel and greenways, €220 million for bus projects, including electric buses in regional cities, and €200 million invested in railways.

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Covered by the allocation for the Department of Transport are 70 electric, double-deck buses for Dublin and 101 electric double-deck buses for Limerick, Galway and Cork.

The electric-charging infrastructure at Drogheda station, combined with 65 new battery-electric trains which are scheduled to arrive next year, will allow for a new Dart service to start between Dublin city and Drogheda in 2025. This allocation will also continue flagship projects such as BusConnects in cities, as well as new town services.

A separate amount of €359 million has been earmarked for the roll out of “active travel measures and greenways”, the third year of this level of investment in walking and cycling infrastructure. Funding will allow work to continue on 10 greenways and to begin on the South Kerry Greenway between Glenbeigh and Caherciveen.

Funding of €21 million has been allocated for road-safety measures in response to the increased number of fatal road collisions. This includes €15 million for safety upgrades including improvements to junctions such as the N20 Mahon Slip Extension in Cork. Some €6 million in funding has also been secured for specific interventions including additional public awareness campaigns and to conduct a review of, and develop, the driver testing curriculum.

In total the Department of Transport will spend €1.35 billion on “road networks and road safety” in 2024. Included in this is €937 million for investment in the maintenance and renewal of the roads network and a €21 million figure for road safety.

Road construction projects which will continue to be funded in 2024 include:

* N5 Westport to Turlough in Mayo;

* M8/N40/N25 Dunkettle Scheme in Cork;

* N22 Macroom to Ballyvourney in Cork;

* N59 Moycullen Bypass Galway Construction and Implementation; and

* N69 Listowel Bypass Kerry Construction and Implementation.

Projects progressing towards construction include the N5 Ballaghaderreen to Longford (Scramogue) and the M28 Cork to Ringaskiddy in Co Cork.

The department is to provide €128 million for maritime transport and safety, and €35 million for civil aviation in 2024. Some €49 million will be provided for “information technology, engagement and research delivery”. The figures include €100 million for the Irish Coast Guard, including €5 million for training.

An allocation of €17 million has been made for regional airports to provide enhanced connectivity and help deliver more balanced regional development.

Mr Ryan said the Dublin metro Metrolink, “will enter the next phase, bringing it ever closer to construction”.

The Government will spend a total of €3.56 billion on transport in 2024, a small increase on the €3.52 billion in 2023.

The figures show the amount of money budgeted under the heading “carbon reduction and public transport” has risen from €1.43 billion in 2022, to €1.63 billion in 2024. At the same time the amount budgeted for road networks has reduced from €1.42 billion in 2022 to €1.35 billion in 2024.